A review of anchorages, and the kinds of ships that use them most on the Columbia

A review of anchorages, and the kinds of ships that use them most on the Columbia

Jan 10, 2025 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts

Today, I thought we could do an overview of anchorages on the river.  We see ships in anchorages up and down the river corridor. Why do ships stop there? What happens on board ships in the anchorage? Can ships just anchor anywhere? Why do some this anchor and others don’t?

We’ll talk about all this and more in today’s show.

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USNS Washington Chambers enters the river today

USNS Washington Chambers enters the river today

Jan 9, 2025 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts

An unusual vessel arrives in the river today: The USNS Washington Chambers. She’s a cargo ship that is a member of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command fleet, and she’s headed for the shipyard at Swan Island. She’s been involved in some unique military exercises at sea recently – we’ll talk about that too.

And a correction to Tuesday’s podcast about the disabled ship that was towed to Rainier after losing power downriver from the Astoria Megler Bridge: that incident happened on Christmas Eve, and the ship was towed upriver on Christmas Day. Apologies for the error; I’ve corrected the podcast.

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Something to cheer about in the depths of winter: the days are getting longer

Something to cheer about in the depths of winter: the days are getting longer

Jan 8, 2025 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts

Today we’ll talk about a happy fact: the days are getting longer! Since we passed the winter solstice in December, we’ve been adding a little daylight daily in small increments. Soon it will add up to wonderfully longer days, and eventually summer once again.

 

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A review of anchorages, and the kinds of ships that use them most on the Columbia

Interesting backstory on a complex Christmas ship incident shows mariner expertise

Jan 7, 2025 | Home Slider, Ship Report Podcasts

On Christmas Day, some lower Columbia land dwellers saw a ship and two tugs slowly making its way upriver to Rainier, where it remains anchored. The ship experienced engine failure on its way downriver, and had to turn around and retrace its path.

The complex backstory around this incident, which might have seemed to a bystander like a relatively simple maneuver, shows the incredible expertise at play in our local maritime industry, which saw numerous professionals working during the Christmas holiday, meeting difficult challenges.

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